Cover for return conveyer runs



Sept. 9, 1952 A. w. DUNCAN COVER F' OR RETURN CONVEYER RUNS 3Sheets-Sheet l ,filed March 4, 1949 H .n..dllllll'l III| H. Uhllllllllwullhd." 1h i. .lllllllll .NH

` Sept. 9, 1952 A. w. DUNCAN 2,609,918

COVER FOR RETURN CONVEYER RUNS Filed March 4, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2fla/2 Sept 9, 1952 A. w. DUNCAN 2,609,918

COVER FOR RETURN CONVEYER RUNS Filed March 4, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JJGf6 12 72 /5 7 7 L/ R #E @W v yfferred. forms, I tof' eliminate looseMPatented Sept. 9, 1952 signor to The'=Min.ing l Limited, Worcester,England `Application"March 4, i In vGreat Britai 1949,-Seria1 Nd. nMarch 2, 1948 Worcester, England, asngineering Company 7 claims. (o1.19s-1s4 l The advantages of covering in vfull the return fstrand ofunderground belt conveyors used at thezworking face are such thatit is`desirable to provide such coveringreven in .thin'f seams.- Thediiiculty, however, is that inverteoly trough press- I ings: of the'type` generally employed 'are `of -suoh alsize that'imoving overthe-conveyor intothe new track :asf the face advances f is laborious4and -costly.y I :have-previously proposed* togsplit `such `pressingsabout x their longitudinal ,axis and to connect these split sections to`'eachfrotherand I. to i the "supporting stools, I thus lretaining jtherlatf. eral rigiditymf Athe fassembled 'conveyor'.

...The presentfinvention; provides =a covered 1return belt conveyorsuitable for userin: thiri` seams,

employing cover. pressings .L split r longitudinally and-lso' "connectedto `supporting `stools that each :half fof the vpressing serves.independently to `hold `the :assembled conveyorfin `lateral:rigiditywith- "outl-need for-connection to the other-halfipressling.

to its newllocation.

The above and*other1partsol` thefinvention are embodied in` a `typicalpreferred form shown by way of example by the accompanying drawings inwhich:

f' Fig. 1 is a side elevation,

Fig. 2 a plan view,

Fig. 3 an end view,

Fig. 4 a sectional elevation Online IV-IV of Fig.-` 1I Figs. 5 and 6-are respectively fa fragmentary sectional elevation and-part planto alarger scale, showing the central part of a stool, and

Fig. 7 shows an example`of an alternative form ofiace-side' covermember.

As shown, the supporting stool comprises two portions, the lower ofwhich is fabricated from round section bars having bights I forming footportions extending longitudinally and transversely across the conveyorand upwardly directed members `2 with conical ends joined by verticalside plates 3 'welded between the upright portions 2 and carrying theroller 4 for supporting the return belt 5.

The upper portion of the stool comprises a plate 6 running transverselyacross the conveyor with upward turned welded intermediate side anges 'Iand having the roller B for the carrying belt I0 mounted between endanges 9. A strengthening web I I is welded on to the plate The invertedtrough covering "the return belt di'frdedlongitudinallyl intoftwoseparatejparts i each; comprising `inwardly "extendinglportions II 4,

I5 and side members -I 5 extending downwards'to i protectthe returnbeltand upwardslto `protect the ca`rrying`-belt. j -of anyform'convenient--for their-function `as face These side` members `maybeorgoafside plates. i y

The adjacentedges Aof theportions `I 4, f I5* may butt along the centreline ofthe 'conveyorwith the plate turned back in tubular''fo'rnras`shown, orthey may be arranged to overlap.

Welded `tofthe side plates IS-at each. end isan flange 1 and webs I2near the centre line of the structure and that some measure of verticalflexibility to follow floor irregularities is retained.

Numerous modications can be devised in which a half cover member engageswith a support both near the outer margin and near the centre so as toprovide lateral stability while allowing some angular movementvertically.

In a modication of the typical construction described above, the upperportion of the stool may have extended end flanges and a centrallyfitted bracket to mount two rollers in V form should it be desired totrough the carrying belt.

Similarly, the half cover pan on the face side may have only adownwardly extending side plate as in such troughed conveyors it isgenerally notV necessary to have a side plate protecting the carryingbelt or as shown in Fig. 'l the side member It may be formed of a bentor inverted substantially V-shaped plate welded to an upturnedlongitudinal outer edge flange of the cover plate l5 and to both sidesof a welded ierrule or the like or bent steel plate constituting thesocket Il.

It will be observed that the upper part of the stool is readilyseparable from the lower part upon which it rests and is held inalignment by the engagement of the corners I3 between the end portions 2of the bars. Also, that the upper and lower parts of the stool canrespectively carry the carrying belt and return belt rollers fixedtherein by split or cotter pins or the like as shown. In this way thereare relatively very few separable parts all of size easy to handle; andthe lateral alignment or the conveyor is asu sured as soon as one halfof the cover trough is positioned between successive stools, the secondhalf dropping into position without any iurther adjustment of thelocation of the stool.

I claim: Y

l. A covered return porting stools comprising foot portions with uprightend portions, transverse plates anohoredat their ends to adjacent endportions of the stools to unite the same, and cover troughs dividedlongitudinally at the center line of the conveyor into two separateparts free of connection to each other along said line, said platesbeing provided with pockets near the center line in which the ends ofthe cover trough parts are seated and retained to support eachindependently, the outer edge of each cover trough partrbeing providedwith a socket member engaging an upright end portion in line with saidpockets and ends of theV cover trough parts.

2. A covered return belt conveyor as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidsockets are elongated lengthwise of the conveyor to allow angularmovement thereof relative to the upright end portions in a verticalplane.

3. A covered return belt conveyor comprising supporting stools includingfoot portions with upright end portions, transverse plates anchored attheir ends to adjacent end portions of the stools to unite the same, andcover troughs di vided longitudinally at the center line of the conveyorinto two separate parts free Voi connection to each other along saidline, said plates being provided with pockets near the center line inwhich the ends of the cover trough parts are seated and retained tosupport each independ-k ently, the ends of the cover trough parts areprobelt conveyor having supe vided with rigid bars having a projectingend and held longitudinally and transversely in the pockets to ygivelateral rigidity to the cover trough'parts independently, and a socketmember is rigid on the outer transversely aligned with said pockets andbars seated therein, and engaging' over an upright end portion of eachsupporting stool.

il. A covered return run conveyor comprising a pair of spaced supportingstools each including al transverse support, a cover trough consistingof two longitudinal haii parts for individual insertion between theconveyor runs from the opposite sides thereof and removably mounted attheir ends on stools, and releasably cooperable connections on saidcover parts and said stools giving rigid lateral alignment independentlybetween each cover part and said stools, said connections comprisingoutwardly disposed connector means centrally located and upwardlydisposed connector'means laterally located on said stools, and inwardlydisposed connector means on the inner corners of said cover parts kforcooperating With said outwardly disposed means centrally located on saidstools, and downwardly disposed connectormeans on the outer corners ofsaid cover parts for cooperating with said upwardly disposed means onsaid stools.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the outwardly disposed connectingmeans on said' stools are at approximately cover trough level andcomprises pockets open at their ends and top and the inwardly disposedmeans on the cover parts comprise pins adapted to drop into and engagein said pockets.

6. Apparatus as in comprise upper and claim 4 wherein the stools lowerseparable parts, the

l lower part having Vspaced upwardly extending posts forming saidupwardly disposed connecting means, the ends of the upper parts engagingrbetween the upwardly extending posts and resting on the lower portions.

'7. Apparatus as in claim Ll wherein the stools comprise upper and lowerseparable portions, said upper portions each supporting an upper beltcarrying roller and the lower portions each supporting a return beltroller. v

ANGUS WELLESLEY DUNCAN.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record Yin the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS edge of each of said parts

